ALL MY CHILDREN won the GLAAD Media Award in 1996 for the coming out story of Michael Delaney, a gay high school teacher who was suspended by the Pine Valley school board after he came out in class. Connie Passalacqua spoke with co-head writer Lorraine Broderick about the storyline for a Feb. 26, 1996 Newsday.

"I don't think soaps have ever done a story of a gay man who is healthy and well- adjusted, a great role model and an outstanding member of the community," Broderick said. " In the past [on soaps] whenever anyone's done a story with a gay adult male, there's always been a feeling that it's about AIDS."

"We took a long time developing the character and Chris [Bruno] as a performer was very patient. And look at the wonderful job he's been doing," Broderick said. "We know there's real homophobia out there, so there's a lot of interesting things to play."

A year and a half later the out character of Kevin Sheffield (Ben Jorgensen) was forced to undergo psychotherapy secretly designed by his parents to turn him straight.

Lorraine Broderick explained at the time: "Kevin is a young boy who has been rejected by his family. They absolutely refuse to accept his homosexuality. He was tricked by his mother {Judith, played by Maeve McGuire} to undergo therapy {which she says} should heal the entire family. The therapist is a so-called `reparative' therapist who helps young people change their orientation. They use brain-washing techniques; they destroy a kid's self-esteem; they make them feel terrible about themselves. Because Kevin wants so badly to please his parents, he's gone along with it. It's a poignant story of a boy who knows in his heart it can't work, even as much as he wants his family to heal."